Wavefront analyzers of this type are used, notably, for astronomical observation in telescopes; for example, when a star is observed, the Earth's atmosphere deforms the plane wavefront emitted by the star and the deformation is measured; the detected deformation can be used to correct the aberrations and restore a plane wavefront.
They are also used for making ophthalmological measurements for the purpose of correction or remedial surgery.
The microlenses used in these analyzers are most commonly fixed-focus converging glass lenses which offer no flexibility in use.
Analyzers using networks of programmable microlenses have also been proposed. In these analyzers, the optical characteristics of the microlenses can be adjusted by regulating voltages.
In particular, the use of networks of microlenses formed from arrays of liquid crystal pixels has been proposed. The article “Wavefront correction based on a reflective liquid crystal wavefront sensor”, in Journal of Optics A: Pure and Applied Optics 11 (2009), by L Hu, L Xuan, D Li, Z Cao, Q Mu, Y Liu, Z Peng, and X Lu, describes a solution of this type. However, this solution is based on a liquid crystal array operating by reflection, which complicates the structure of the analyzer. Furthermore, it is difficult to adjust the focal length, because this is highly dependent on the wavelength of the incident light.